1. Invest in easy-to-open reusable containers for school lunches. Children as young as 2 can take a lot of pride in doing things for themselves, and with the right containers, even toddlers can be successful.

2. Add a small cloth napkin with a fun print for your child to lay out as a place mat, and pack lunches together. Children will more likely eat what they have helped to prepare. Encourage them to eat food from every color of the rainbow. Children also tend to eat more and waste less when servings are cut into bite-sized pieces....